ESW is seeking a Technician

JOB OPPORTUNITY – TECHNICIAN (BUILDING), PART TIME

Deadline for Applications: midnight on Monday 30 September 2019.

We are seeking a highly motivated Technician (Building) to become part of our small, dedicated team. The post holder will manage our building and facilitate access to workshops and studios at our bespoke site in Newhaven in Edinburgh.

Following development of ideas around our workshops and changes in experienced staff we are now able to offer a key technical position within our team.

The Technician (Building) will be providing supported access to the workshops, project spaces and studios and have responsibilities for the management of the building. They will also be involved in the public use of the building through our courses, learning and exhibition programmes.

The successful applicant will also be supported in training and have access to our workshop facilities for developing their own practice.

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop provides spaces, equipment and resources designed to provide an ideal environment for production, research and learning. The sculpture centre was developed in two stages. The Bill Scott Sculpture Centre which opened in 2012 houses 26 artist studios, workshops supporting various processes, education and research spaces and two artist apartments. Adjacent to this is the Creative Laboratories which opened in 2015 and provides outdoor working areas, spaces for presentation and seminars and a public café. Together these two buildings provide a unique facility which is a major resource for contemporary sculpture. We have Metal, Wood and Mixed Media Workshops with kilns and a Foundry.

The Technician (Building) will be responsible for implementing the Health & Safety and Environment policies, for maintaining the building and for identifying cost efficiencies across building systems and operations.

We are looking for an individual with some experience within a similar role with priorities around supporting artists and ensuring the safe and efficient management of the building. The ideal candidate will be adaptable to the busy environment and sensitive to the contrasting needs and requirements of the different communities working at ESW including working with outside bookings of our spaces. We are anticipating that the Technician (Building) will have a wide range of skills, learned through their own artistic projects and past experience facilitating learning for others. These skills will complement existing staff and meet interests within the community of artists at ESW.

We will also work with the post holder to identify appropriate training to continue their development.

ESW is committed to equal opportunities in employment and and we positively welcome applications from all sections of the community, including people currently under-represented in the creative and cultural sector, or under-represented in technical roles.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Technical Provision

Providing specialist Technical Support

Providing training and professional development in sculptural processes for artists, groups and public users, one to one and in groups

Utilising existing skills and learning new ones which are useful to the artists at ESW

Health & Safety

Monitoring activities in the building within the context of the organisation’s Health & Safety policy

Ensuring ESW’s duty of care to the staff, users and visitors is applied across all activities

Attending Health & Safety meetings and providing information for Health & Safety reports to the Director and Board of Directors

Ensuring all staff (permanent, freelance and volunteers) have the required support and supervision to facilitate the highest standard of health & safety

Work with other Technicians to carry out and maintain ESW’s risk assessment records

Be responsible for providing first aid within the building and at events

Building Management

Keeping the building in good condition which will involve maintenance of the fabric, fixtures and fittings

Implementing the annual test schedules and regular review of building operations (such as the alarm and security systems)

Supporting the implementation of ESW’s Environment policy

Supervising ESW’s cleaning company

First point of contact for ESW’s security firm

Liaise with ESW’s café operators to ensure efficient running of the space

Liaise with external contractors

Managing waste and recycling

Managing storage within the building

Stock taking and regular updating of inventories for equipment and consumables

Maintaining administration files and records, monitoring costs and working to budgets

Operating the forklift

Programme

Work with other Technicians and the Programme Team to facilitate safe management of the programme including review of risk assessments, leading building inductions and providing first-aid cover at events.

Financial

Management of own budget area

Regularly review standard and type of services and supplies relating to the management of the building to ensure value for money and efficiency

Person Specification

Essential

Knowledge of the equipment and processes used across one or more of the Wood, Metal or Mixed Media Workshops

Knowledge of contemporary sculpture and in particular, the skills and processes involved

Experience of workshop facilitation

Experience in practical day to day building maintenance as well as working with contractors

Good knowledge of current best practice in health & safety

Experience of scheduling and ability to work to deadlines

Ability to work on own initiative

Good working knowledge of Microsoft software packages – Word, Outlook and Excel

Desirable

Experience of working across different teams within an organisation

Certified training in Health & Safety policy and procedures, First Aid and carbon management reporting experience (according to guidelines set down by Creative Carbon Scotland)

Forklift License

Pay & Conditions

Part-time basis (3 days per week)

There are sometimes more days per week offered created by specific project requirements on the team.

– a copy of your cv (no more than two A4 pages) including the names of two referees.

– a cover letter (no more than one A4 page) which outlines clearly how you meet the job and person specification.

– In the cover letter, please talk about your skills and level of experience, being clear about what level of skills you have in different areas, for example ‘I have used MIG welding for several large projects of my own in the past but am not a certified welder’; ‘I have worked with ceramics for 5 years including looking after my own electric kiln’.

Applications must be received by email by no later than midnight on Monday 30 September 2019.

Applications should be sent to laura@edinburghsculpture.org with subject line ‘Technician (Building) Application’.

Any questions about the role can be directed to Laura Simpson, Director, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop.

We understand that it might be useful to visit to see the facilities at ESW while you are preparing your application – if so please get in touch to arrange a time by calling or emailing ESW office: 0131 551 4490 office@edinburghsculpture.org